THE son of a former chief of police in Wirral led the tributes to his father yesterday after he died in a car crash aged 80.

William Beesley retired from the police after four decades working in Cheshire and Merseyside. He lived at Torpenhow off Montgomery Hill, in Caldy, Wirral.

Mr Beesley, who had been awarded the MBE for his service to the force, died last Saturday at around 5pm after suffering horrific injuries in a road accident involving two other cars.

The crash happened just over a week earlier near Dawpool Cottages on Telegraph Road in Thurstaston and Mr Beesley had been treated in Arrowe Park Hospital.

Since his retirement on his 60th birthday in February 1984, Mr Beesley had remained active.

His son Nick, who had returned from Kuwait to be with his father following the accident, said Mr Beesley had been a very proud father of two sons and twin daughters, and a grandfather of 13 who would also be missed by many people outside the family.

He said: "Above all else when he retired he remained very active, and was a fit person who enjoyed his family.

"He did a lot of sport and rambling and spent at least six months of the year away working for Cunard as a gentleman host on the QE2 until 2004. He also did a lot of ballroom dancing."

Mr Beesley, originally from Northwich, had worked for the Cheshire Constabulary as a 16-year-old messenger in 1940, and was following in his father's footsteps by joining the police.

He served in the Royal Navy from 1942 to 1946 and then joined the police. He was promoted to sergeant in 1956 and rose further through the ranks to become the superintendent of Wallasey in 1968.

During his career he saw the change from police officers carrying whistles and checked in by phone to their stations to the widespread use of personal radios.

He worked on all types of areas from patrolling a rural Cheshire patch around Daresbury to working for CID.

As a senior officer William Beesley also prepared the way for the merger of the smaller divisions within Wirral to one large division covering the entire borough.

Mr Beesley had been a widower for much of his retirement after his wife Gwendoline, mother to his four children, died in May 1985.

His son said: "There will be a lot of people he knew that we didn't who have not heard what happened."

Police investigating Mr Beesley's death are still appealing for witnesses following the crash which took place around 11.40pm on Friday February 11. It involved Mr Beesley's red Renault 25, a Renault Clio and a Fiat Punto.

Wirral coroner Christopher Johnson has been informed of Mr Beesley's death and an inquest is expected to be opened by the end of the week.

The funeral for William Beesley is being handled by Charles Stephens funeral directors in Heswall.